Tag: Social Media

Business Social Media Info DO Put It on Your Card

After a particularly pleasant experience as a customer you’ll see me standing at the cash picking up a business card. If you watch you’ll see me look at both sides of the card.

The reason I’m doing this is I’m active on social media, I’m looking for their business social media info so that I can give them a kudos online.

Side note: If they don’t have cards for the taking, I make a friendly suggestion that they rectify the situation. Always have business cards for the taking at the till.

Many times (too many) I have to ask for the business social media info because it isn’t anywhere on the card.

If you have business social media accounts then include the info on your cards. You wouldn’t leave off your phone number, e-mail or website, right? Social media is another means, a very popular way for customers to communicate and publicly talk about your business.

After scanning their business card I hand them my card. I thank them for the amazing customer experience, take some pictures and explain what I do. I support my community by supporting Cowichan Valley Business Growth.

I let them know what made my customer experience a good one and that I will be telling others about it.

If there is no social media info on the card, rather than assuming (used to do that) I ask. Often they have a Facebook page (or are pretty sure they have one). I point out that it’s not on the business card, and they respond with “you can just search our name”.

Buzzzzzz wrong answer! I make another friendly suggestion. Don’t make it tough for people to track you down on social media. Don’t assume you’ll come up top those results either. If your business socializes…include the contact info on your card,

Take care!

Shelley

PS – I was curious so I just pulled out 10 random local business cards.

2 no business social media listed, they do not partake so that card is complete

5 have no business social media listed but do use at least one form of social media

1 has Facebook logo without link – that’s good but would be GREAT with the FB page link

A few years ago I started trying to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life. After much deliberation I made my decision. I know this is going to sound cliché but I decided that I want to make a difference. There you go I said it! A difference…

A tad too tired these days to take on the world. Besides, I brought my girls up so that they’ll take care of that. So I narrowed it down a bit.

I want to make a difference locally. I can make a difference in our Community!

First step was tweaking our family buying habits so that we were spending more in our community. Especially when it comes to our food, shopping local means eating fresh. Eating fresh is eating healthy. Buying local means supporting our local economy and that’s what I call an all around win. Done; check.

Next I started preaching what I was practicing to anybody and everybody in our community. Some people roll their eyes. Most people though, they get it. That gives me hope, and so I share my opinion every chance that I get.

“It takes a community to support a strong local economy” tweets @shoplocally. One determined citizen can help make that happen. Talking just happens to be my forté.

I call it spreading some #BuyLocalLove. It’s simple really. Come together as a community; ensure a healthy local economy.

I’m studying Social Media so that I can shout it out to even more people. Why do I say studying instead of studied? It’s a never ending process. Social Media changes daily. There is ALWAYS something new to learn. Which, I just happen to love doing.

That brings me to my own personal mission statement…

Support Cowichan Valley Business Growth to help our community sustain a healthy local economy.

#BuyLocalLove

Well, that’s it for now because I simply must get back to spreading the #BuyLocalLove. Then I’ll try to figure out the implications of the latest “potential” changes happening over on Facebook.

Yeah now we have automated responses for Social media! Say Twitter for example. When I follow people I’m now increasingly seeing automated thank you tweets and receiving ads as direct messages.

Oh, and then there are the automated acknowledgements for retweets! Not so great when you retweet the same person multiple times and are automatically thank you tweeted for each one.

Hello it’s social media! It’s a way to COMMUNICATE directly with your customers and potential customers. It’s a way to network with other small businesses. It’s increased exposure for your brand within your community, and if you so desire globally.

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again it’s important to thank new followers. When I say thank them, I don’t mean via some repetitive cheesy automated message. If the automated message isn’t insult enough, it usually includes a promo for the automation application as well.

I see this as an indicator that I may not have a great customer experience in person. If they can’t be bothered acknowledging me online, why would that change at the till?

I like to treat new followers as if they’ve walked into my place of business. I get to know them a little, which means I check out their Twitter profile.

If they are someone that I want to associate with I follow them back. I post a personalized thank you tweet based on what I’ve learned about them.

When I see people favoriting, retweeting and mentioning me in their tweets I also thank them. Not every time, but I do tweet personal thanks regularly.

Call it Twitter etiquette if you want, but to me it’s just plain manners.

PS – There, now that I got that off my chest I feel much better 🙂 Don’t forget…

Social Media use it!

There are oh SO many great reasons to use social media (i.e. Twitter, Facebook Page) for your local business. That being said…DO NOT sign up for social media accounts unless you are committed to maintaining them.

In the brick n’ mortar world that’d be like leaving the store untended with everything in locked cases. Potential customers can walk in and ONLY look around. They can’t ask questions or make any purchases because nobody is there. Plus it looks like it’s been abandoned for a really long time.

In the online social media world customers search for YOUR business. They sign up to follow you. They are specifically asking to be kept up to date. They are giving you permission to socialize with them.

When the first impression of your social media page/account is that it’s being neglected it can affect how they feel about your business. My particular pet peeve is following a local business (especially ones that I frequent regularly) then not receiving any kind of acknowledgement. As a customer, it makes me feel like I’ve just walked into your store without being greeted.

Social Media Don’t Make a Bad Impression

If you’re not ready to add fresh content regularly (stay in touch) then you probably should wait to set up accounts or pages. It looks really bad when a customer posts a comment that is left eternally UNANSWERED. Remember though that you are passing up the opportunity to communicate directly with your customers. To keep them informed. To provide news about your local business. To build a community with your customers and other local businesses.

When customers are looking for you on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or others and don’t find you this can also leave a bad impression. The impression that your business may be a little out of date.

I like to look at it this way….when the store is quiet a valuable tweet to followers gives you the chance to treat them as if they are in the store. Thereby eliminating the lull altogether.

Now is the time to put social media to good use for your business!

If you need a little help setting up your accounts, building your social community and keeping them fresh feel free to get in touch 250-710-0594 or Shelley@ILoveCowichan.ca

If I’m on Twitter, I want to read something, In fact, I want to read something interesting.

If you want me to visit your business on another social media website, for example let’s say Facebook. Then send me there via an interesting thought and a picture. Entice me, encourage me to visit your other post.

I realize the Facebook link shrinks the 140 characters but if the most interesting thing you have to say is…

I Just Posted a New Photo to Facebook …

I’m probably not going to visit. I’m most certainly not going to fave or retweet it. What’s the problem with sharing the picture on Twitter? You’ve got my attention, why risk losing it?

Think about it for a second, you are on Twitter to grow your local business. To communicate directly with your customers. To increase the number of customers (and potential customers) who are following you. You have a limited amount of real estate (140 characters) to promote your business, and instead you’re promoting Facebook?

I realize most likely, you want customers to visit your Facebook page because there you can offer more information. You may have a page (or pages) set up specifically geared to offering valuable information to your customers, freebies, coupons. It’s a great way to stay in touch with customers and for customers to like/share your pages. You can manage lists and campaigns, the possibilities are endless.

BUT…right now we’re talking about you having somebody’s attention on Twitter…

Your Twitter goal may in fact be solely to direct customers to your local business Facebook page(s). You still have to offer something of interest or value. Think of the 140 characters as a headline. An interesting headline will get the click, will get favorited and will get retweeted. A powerful headline & picture; even better!

I know it’s tempting and a real time saver to use an ap that updates all of your social media accounts when you make a new post. That unfortunately leads to boring and unpopular Tweets like “I Posted a New Photo to Facebook fb.meblahblahblah”

I’ve taken the time to visit you on Twitter, please give me a little time in return by sharing your interesting Tweets.

Now if you’ll excuse me…I’m heading over to Tweet something (ILoveCowichanca) that will hopefully entice my Twitter friends into reading this blog post. Have a super day!